1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to foodstuffs having improved taste quality, more particularly, after taste quality. The present invention also relates to the use of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR1## in enhancing the effect of sodium chloride or in debittering potassium chloride used as a substitute for a sodium chloride in such foods as soups. The present invention also relates to the enhancement of food flavors using sclareolide having the structure: ##STR2## as a flavor enhancer. The present invention also relates to the use of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR3## as at least a partial fat replacer to be used in dairy products such as ice cream, sour cream and whipped toppings. The present invention also relates to the use of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR4## as a modulator to reduce or eliminate the aftertaste of artificial sweeteners such as aspartame.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Discussion of the Background
Taste qualities of foodstuffs change depending on the composition of taste components contained therein. When foodstuffs have miscellaneous tastes or an unpleasant taste, various improvements can be made by adjusting the composition. Among low calorie sweeteners, the use of which has been rapidly growing recently, for example, aspartame is characterized as a sweetener free from a bitter or astringent taste or an irritating taste and having a refreshing sweetness. However, aspartame is somewhat insufficient in rich tasteness in terms of sweet quality. Further, aspartame has a tendency to impart a sweet aftertaste, as is characteristically noted with sweeteners having a high titer. To improve such a sweet quality of aspartame, various proposals have been made (Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Nos. 90667/77, 148255/81, 63068/82, 141760/83, etc.).
However, the purpose of improving sweet quality of aspartame and imparting satisfaction comparable to that of sugar have not been sufficiently achieved. Further the method of using these various taste components in combination requires the component used in combination in a weight almost the same as or larger than that of aspartame, in most cases. From an aspect of rendering a low calorie or general purpose use, a further improvement has been desired.
In addition, tastes such as an astringent taste of the like, especially a different flavor or miscellaneous flavors left on the tongue as an aftertaste tend to adversely affect the taste quality of foodstuffs as a whole. In such a case, even though a beforetaste, etc., is of good quality, the taste quality tends to be lowered as a whole due to the unpleasant aftertaste and it becomes necessary to improve the whole taste from the beforetaste to aftertaste.
It is well known that the combination of monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) and a flavor inducing 5'-nucleotide, such as disodium inosine-5'-monophosphate (IMP), disodium guanosine-5'-monophosphate(GMP), or a mixture thereof, exhibit a synergistic flavoring activity. Moreover, mixtures comprising MSG and a flavor inducing 5'-nucleotide having long been widely used as economical flavoring agents or seasoning agents for various foods and beverages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,258,072 issued on Mar. 24, 1981 discloses a mixed seasoning comprising 100 parts by weight monosodium glutamate; 0.05 to 25 parts by weight of a flavor inducing 5'-nucleotide; 5.0 to 38.0 parts by weight of sodium chloride; 0.1 to 0.87 parts by weight succinic acid and/or sodium succinate; and 0.5 to 10.0 parts by weight of at least one alkali metal salt of an organic acid which may be sodium fumarate, sodium citrate, sodium or calcium lactate, sodium maleate, sodium tartrate, sodium ascorbate or sodium aspartate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,244 issued on Aug. 5, 1980 discloses a low sodium seasoning which includes potassium chloride as its major ingredient together with other nonsodium compounds masking the bitterness of the potassium chloride so that the seasoning can be substituted for sodium chloride seasonings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,216,244 specifically discloses a low sodium salt seasoning consisting by weight of a mixture of about 90 percent low sodium salt base and about 10 percent low sodium diluent, with the base consisting by weight of a mixture of about 92 percent potassium chloride, about 3 percent L-glutamic acid and about 1 percent each of monopotassium glutamate, potassium citrate and potassium phosphate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,066,793 issued on Jan. 3, 1978 discloses seasoning compositions, and processes for their production, which have an improved and enhanced meat-like flavor, and comprise mixtures containing extracts of yeast autolysates, 5'-nucleotides, sodium chloride and potassium salts; the potassium ion concentration being more than 0.5 times the sodium ion concentration.
Yamada in German Offenlegungsschrift No. 3144-166, French Patent No. 2,493,681 and Japan Published Application No. J57-079860 discloses a seasoning composition which may be either:
______________________________________ Weight Percent ______________________________________ (i) 15-21 magnesium chloride; 3-10 magnesium sulfate; 2-4 potassium chloride; 0.2-0.5 magnesium bromide; and 2-7 sodium chloride; or (ii) 15-21 magnesium chloride; 6-9 magnesium sulfate; 2-4 potassium chloride; 0.2-0.4 magnesium bromide; 2.6 sodium chloride; and 0.1-21 calcium salt. ______________________________________
The Yamada patents and patent applications indicate that when the salt composition is diluted, it does not give bitterness but gives a round taste and gives rise to intensity of the saltiness of common salt.
Issued Japanese Patent No. J82-022311 discloses a synergistic seasoning composition containing monosodium glutamate, a nucleic acid type tasting compound, sodium chloride, succinic acid salt and at least one othr sodium salt. The seasoning is composed of:
(i) monosodium glutamate;
(ii) nucleic acid-type tasting substance such as disodium inosine-5'-monophosphate and/or disodium guanosine-5'-monophosphate;
(iii) sodium chloride;
(iv) succinic acid and/or sodium succinate; and
(v) at least one salt selected from the group consisting of monosodium furmarate, trisodium citrate, monosodium lactate, calcium lactate, disodium malate, disodium tartarate, sodium ascorbate and monosodium aspartate.
The abstract of Japanese Patent No. J8/2022311 is as follows:
Derwent Abstracts ("FOODOC"/January, 1983)
"Synergistic seasoning compsn.-contains monosodium glutamate, nucleic acid type tasting cpd., sodium chloride succinic acid salt and at least one other sodium salt. The seasoning is composed of (1) monosodium glutamate, (2) nucleic acid-type tasting substance (e.g., disodium inosine-5'-monophosphate and/or disodium guanoisine-5'-monophosphate), (3) sodium chloride, (4) succinic acid and/or sodium succinate and (5) at least 1 salt selected from monosodium fumarate, trisodium citrate, monosodium lactate, calcium lactate, disodium malate, disodium tartarate, sodium ascorbate and monosodium aspartate. The ratio (1):(2)=1:0.0005-0.25, esp. 1:0.001-0.15; (1)+(2):(3)=1:0.05-3, esp. 0.07-0.25 (1)+(2):(4)=1:0.0010-0.0070, esp. 1:0.0015:0.0055. (1)+(2):(5)=1:0.005-0.080, esp 1:0.010-0.070 (4) and (5) are expressed as the free acid. "By combining sodium chloride (4) and (5) the tasting strength of the seasoning can be increased and its taste made similar to that of monosodium glutamate." PA0 meat and meat by-products: 77-92% and PA0 texturized soy: 8-20%. PA0 Methyl thiazole alcohol (4-methyl-5-.beta.-hydroxyethyl thiazole); PA0 2-Methyl butanethiol; PA0 4-Mercapto-2-butanone; PA0 3-Mercapto-4-pentanone; PA0 1-Mercapto-2-propanone; PA0 Benzaldehyde; PA0 Furfural; PA0 Furfural alcohol; PA0 2-Mercapto propionic acid; PA0 2-Methylfuran-3-thiol; PA0 2-Methyldihydrofuran-3-thiol; PA0 2-Methyltetrahydrofuran-3-thiol; PA0 2-Ethylfuran-3-thiol; PA0 2-Ethyldihydrofuran-3-thiol; PA0 Methyl pyrazine; PA0 2-Ethyl-3-methyl pyrazine; PA0 Tetramethyl pyrazine; PA0 Dipropyl disulfide; PA0 Methyl benzyl disulfide; PA0 Allyl thiophenes; PA0 2-Butyl thiophene; PA0 2,3-Dimethyl thiophene; PA0 5-Methyl furfural; PA0 Acetyl furan; PA0 2,4-Decadienal; PA0 Guiacol; PA0 Phenyl acetaldehyde; PA0 .delta.-Decalactone; PA0 d-Limonene; PA0 Acetoin; PA0 Amyl acetate; PA0 Maltol; PA0 Ethyl butyrate; PA0 Levulinic acid; PA0 Piperonal; PA0 Ethyl acetate; PA0 N-Octanal; PA0 n-Pentanal; PA0 n-Hexanal; PA0 Diacetyl; PA0 Monosodium glutamate; PA0 Sulfur-containing amino acids; PA0 Cysteine; PA0 Hydrolyzed vegetable protein; PA0 Hydrolyzed fish protein; and PA0 Tetramethyl pyrazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,368 issued on June 28, 1974 discloses a therapeutic composition of an aqueous medium containing about 75-150 moles sodium ions; 5-50 moles potassium ion; 5-50 moles bicarbonate ions; 75-150 moles chloride ion and preferably containing about 1-30 moles magnesium ion and about 1-30 moles of HPO.sub.4 =and/or SO.sub.4 =ion with a solution having a pH of about 5.95-8.4 and an osmolality of about 170-460.
Japanese Patent No. J82/00777 issued on Jan. 7, 1982 and abstracted at Chem.Abstracts, Volume 96:161168h discloses a salt composition for sea food preservation containing 0.15-1% sodium chloride and a mixture of magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate (1:1) weight ratio. It is indicated the magnesium sulfate and calcium sulfate marketedly improved the flavor of the food product.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,823 discloses a process for preparing a fabricated meat comprising the sequential steps of:
(a) emulsifying meat or meat by-products;
(b) admixing a salt, with the emulsified meat or meat by-products, in a weight-persent proportion of 1.5-3% based on the weight of the fabricated product, the salt being present in a proportion sufficient to extract salt soluble protein from the emulsified meat or meat by-products, the salt being selected from the group consisting of sodium chloride, potassium chloride, sodium phosphate, potassium phosphate, sodium polyphosphates and potassium polyphosphates;
(c) extracting the salt soluble protein from the meat and meat by-products;
(d) admixing texturized soy with the emulsified meat or meat by-products, extracted protein and salt;
(e) forming the mixture into a desired shape;
(f) blanching the shaped mixture in a temperature range of 170.degree.-210.degree. F.; and
(g) thereafter maintaining the moisture content of the fabricated meat and meat by-product in the range of up to about 70%,
the weight-percent proportions of the ingredients being:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,340,614 issued on July 20, 1982 discloses a stringently sodium-restricted dietetic salt in its preparation which consists of a mixture of from 60-85 weight percent potassium chloride; 10-30 weight percent potassium adipate; 2-5 weight percent potassium tartrate; 0.5-2 weight percent potassium glutamate; 0.5-2 weight percent adipic acid; and from 0.004 up to 0.06 weight percent of potassium inosinate and/or potassium guanylate.
Furthermore, the use of certain materials for enhancing the flavor of foodstuffs is well recognized in the art. One of the first materials widely utilized for this purpose was monosodium glutamate. More recently, 5'-nucleotides, particularly inosinates and guanylates, have been similarly utilized as flavor enhancers. These nucleotides have particularly been used with meat and fish materials.
It has been recognized that certain pyrazines are present in coffee and other beverages. The use of acetylpyrazines to impart popcorn-like flavors has been suggested. The use of tetramethylpyrazine, preferably with vanillin, to improve the flavor of cocoa and chocolate material is also known. In these instances the pyrazines are said to have actively imparted a particular flavor character or specific aroma note to a foodstuff or other product.
Nothing in the prior art discloses that sclareolide having the structure: ##STR5## is useful as a fat replacer in ice cream whereby the mouthfeel affect caused by fat may be created using sclareolide as opposed to the fact in the ice cream.
Nothing in the prior art discloses that sclareolide having the structure: ##STR6## has a salt sparing effect whereby traces of sclareolide enhance traces of sodium chloride and also reduce the bittering affect of sodium chloride substitutes such as potassium chloride.
Nothing in the prior art discloses the use of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR7## for accentuation or enhancement of flavor such as cheese flavors in snack applications particularly where the snacks are relatively low in fat content.
Nothing in the prior art discloses the use of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR8## as an aspartame modulator particularly where the aspartame aftertaste is reduced or eliminated.
Fernandez, et al (PhytoChemistry, Volume 24, No. 1, pp. 188-189, 1985, (abstracted at Chemical Abstracts, Vol. 102:128829u) discloses the occurrence of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR9## in Sideritis nutans.
Kaneko in Agr.Biol.Chem., Volume 35, No. 9, pages 1461-1462, 1971 (The Aroma of Cigar Tobacco, Part II/Isolation of Norambreinolide from Cigar Tobacco) (abstracted at Chemical Abstracts Volume 76, 1972, 56811b) discloses the isolation of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR10## from cigar tobacco.
Wahlberg, et al, Acta Chemica Scandinavica B 33 (1979) pages 541-543 (title: "Tobacco Chemistry.49. *New Labdanic Diterpenoids Isolated from Tobacco", (abstract at Chemical Abstracts, Volume 92:19004a) discloses the occurrence of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR11## in tobacco.
Teresa, et al, An. Quim. 1979, 75(5), 335-40 (abstracted at Chemical Abstracts Volume 91:137149d) discloses the isolation of sclareolide having the structure: ##STR12## from the neutral part of the C. ladaniferus gum.